The first game of the night pits the Thunder against the
Knicks inside what's sure to be an electrifying Madison Square Garden.

Opening NBA odds have New York getting seven points on their
own floor, while the total has hit the trading market at 206.5.

The Knicks have gone 21-9 SU and 15-15 ATS at home, while
the Thunder are 17-12 SU and 14-13-2 ATS in road games this season. Oklahoma
City has however covered the spread in only two of their past seven away from
home.

These teams have not met yet this season, but the home team
in the series has gone 6-1 ATS in the previous seven meetings. As for a
possible play on the total, the UNDER is 5-1 in the last six head-to-head
matchups.

The Thunder have rebounded after a three-game losing streak
last month to win five of six, with the only defeat coming at the hands of
Denver. Oklahoma City beat both L.A. teams in consecutive games, topping things
off with a dominant 122-105 win over the Lakers.

It's been a good couple weeks for the Knicks as well.
They've also won five of six, with their loss coming at home to Miami in a game
they looked like they had wrapped up.

The key to the run for New York has been better defensive
performances – they've allowed just 93.2 points per game over their previous
five. Plus, Carmelo Anthony's absence didn't slow them down whatsoever last
night, with the star forward currently listed as questionable for tonight.

The Clippers will enter the Pepsi Center as 4.5-point
underdogs, while most online sportsbooks have posted an O/U as high as 213.

Not only have the Nuggets lost just three times at home this
season, they've gone a fantastic 20-9 ATS as well. They've cashed in seven of
their last eight in their building and are 5-0-1 ATS over their previous six
overall.

George Karl has his guys playing at a very high level – the
Nuggets have won six straight, a run that includes wins over Oklahoma City,
Atlanta and the L.A. Lakers. They also haven't lost at home since January 18th.

The Clippers have been doing work in the ATS arena too,
going 5-1 ATS over their last six overall and a perfect 5-0 ATS in their five
most recent road contests. Can they keep that streak going against one of the
best home-court advantages tonight?

The season series is tied up at one apiece, with the
Clippers winning 112-100 at home in December and the Nuggets getting a 92-78
victory in Denver during the month of January.

A play on the total may be worth your while, and if you are
looking at that option closely, consider the fact that the OVER is 21-6 in
Denver's last 27 games overall and has also hit in eight of L.A.'s past ten
when playing on no days of rest.

All that said though, we do think that the best options for our NBA picks is to expect a Nuggets win here. Ty Lawson is playing out of this world and has the
quickness to keep up with Chris Paul, while Denver is one of the few teams in
the league that can match L.A's depth.

4.5-Point Teaser Play: New York Knicks +11.5 &
Denver Nuggets PK

We like what we've seen out of the Knicks recently and we
see them at least batting with KD and the Thunder at home. Meanwhile, the
Nuggets, who have been almost unbeatable in Denver this season, should be able
to stamp out a win over CP3 and the Clippers.